Cobble Hill/Cherry Point Masters RR was the last race for 2017. I was riding in support of Mick Bryson for an overall win for the series and I would try to take the win for M55-59 age group.

I saw Mick Bryson, Paul Taylor and Brian Green in the parking lot when I arrived at sign up before race start. After sign in we went out for warm up ride to check out the course and talked about race strategy. There was 6 racing in the 50-59 age group, so Mick and I decided with the help of Paul that we would try the same tactics as the Shawnigan RR, ride at threshold and see if we could stay away from the 30/40 age group and take the win for the race.

Our group started 5 mins behind the 60-69 age group and the 30/40 group started 4 mins behind us. The race started off with a slight uphill grade and by the time we rounded the first corner two riders fell off the back. The 4 of us continued to ride a rolling pace line at threshold until we caught the 60-69 group on the start of the 3rd lap. One more rider fell off the back on this lap and we distanced ourselves from the 60-69 group on the steep hill on Cherry Point Rd. By the forth lap it was down to Mick and I…we continued to dig deep and ride as efficiently as possible. On the 5th and 6th lap there was still no sign of the group behind us and we started to believe we could pull off a 1st and 2nd and secure Mick’s overall win for the series.

On the 7th and final lap we just focused on getting to the line as fast as possible. It was getting hot (28 C) now and the final climb up the steep hill on Cherry Point Rd was painful. Once we crested the hill, with no sign of the group behind us, we knew we had secured 1st and 2nd as it was mostly downhill to the finish.

A couple of minutes after Mick and I finished, Brian Green took the bunch sprint for the 30/40 group, coming in 3rd overall. It was another clean sweep for the OBB Wheelers today!

Mick won overall for the series and Brian Green & I won our age group for the series.

It was a lot of fun racing the BC Masters series with the Wheelers…can’t wait for next year!